Although Last Week's purples n' yellow was indeed a conundrum for many of us (I'm right there with you ;), I'm proud to say that we had a rockin' week regardless. Your pretty, pretty purples came in droves, proving that we can handle whatever palette that's thrown our way! Which, I must admit right now - is a good thing - because if you thought last week's challenge was tough, you ain't seen nothin' yet. . . .

But Before We Go On:

I want to reiterate that each week stands on it's own, so if you're itching to play and have not yet taken the plunge, consider this your official invitation. I promise, you'll be glad that you did! Wanna know more about it? Pop over here for all the event details, over here to join our Facebook group and over here to take a gander at our Flickr pool. Our hashtag for all social media is #TheSummerofColor5.

This Week:

We'll be working on our fourth - of six - weekly color palettes. It's bright, bold, and along with it's counter part, possibly the biggest challenge of our event. Wanna know what it is? Are you positivity sure? Okay then, our color palette for Week Four of The SOC 5 is . . . .

1 Red + 1 Red + 1 Metallic

Metallic you say?! That's right! This week, along with two reds of your choice, you'll also be working with any metallic that you prefer. Metallics can be a challenge to both work with and photograph, but you know what? I believe that it will also be the most fun palette to watch come in. And remember, you can create anything that your little heart desires, as long as your work is based upon the colors above and in the PDF below:

Can be found right here, as well as on my YouTube channel. I have to say, as much as I worried about this one, I ended up learning a lot from the process. I hope you have as much fun watching it as I did creating it!

Please link your Week Four pieces to the widget below. To qualify for the reds n' metallic giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.

Ready? Set? Art!

I can not wait to see what you do with this one! Experiment, have fun and we'll see you back here next Monday, July 6th, for Week Five's rather preppy palette (hint, hint), Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner.

Monday, June 22, 2015

"All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul - when you look at it,

it's looking back at you."

- Uniek Swain

And Colorful It Was!
Pinks & orange, Pinks & orange! It was a virtual circus around here full of bold pops of color and whimsical takes on the rather ruckus palette that was on show last week. Isn't it fun to see the variety that's out there, all based upon the same basic color group? I Lovity-love-love what you did with it, and can't wait to see how you attack the next challenge!

But I Digress:
If you're reading this for the first time, please know that you're welcome to join us at any time. Each week stands on it's own, so if you're itching in jump in, do it! If you want to read all about it, pop over here for the event details, over here to join our Facebook group and over here if you want to peruse our Flickr pool. On social media, our hashtag is #TheSummerofColor5.

This Week:
We'll be working on our third - of six - weekly color palettes. It's elegant, rather royal and most likely a challenge (um, at least it was for me). But hey, that's what we're here for, right? So are you ready for it?! Yes? Okay, without further adieu, our palette for Week Three of the SOC5 is. . . .

1 Purple + 1 Purple + 1 Yellow

And remember: you can create anything at all that you'd like, as long as you're using your favorites from the colors above. Oh, and below:

Please link your Week Three pieces to the widget below. To qualify for the purples n' yellow giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.

Now Get Arting!

Have so much fun and we'll see you here again next week, Monday the 29th, for Week Four's tricky Palette (there's a surprise in this one!), Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner. Okay? Okay!

Monday, June 15, 2015

"The setting sun burned the sky pink and orange in the same bright hues

as surfers' bathing suits."

- Michael Connelly, The Black Echo

That Was Pretty Fabulous!

Well now, it looks like this little party of ours has hit the ground running. I've been a-ma-zed at all the bold, ethereal, glittery & altogether gorgeous blues n' green pieces that came pouring in here and in our Facebook group last week, and am genuinely honored to be the host of such a beautiful group of kind, helpful andnot to mention incredibly talented people. You make a mama proud!!

Now, If You're Just Joining Us. . .

No worries! Each week stands on it's own, so like any other party, just come when you can. If you want to learn more about the event, pop over here for all the details. Also, I've loved hearing the stories of those who've wanted to play over the years, but had not done so until now. Please, if you're reading this and have ever considered jumping in, make this your time. I promise, promise, promise that you'll be glad you did.

This Week:

We'll be working on our second - of six - weekly color palettes. And, it should be said, it also happens to be one of the most popular combinations we've played with. Ready for it? Okay then, our palette for Week Two of the SOC 5 is . . . .

1 Pink + 1 Pink + 1 Orange

Wheeeeeeeeee! Remember, which particular pinks n' orange you choose is entirely up to you but I for one, can't wait to see what you do with it! Did you like the little PDF? Okay then, here's this week's installment:

You may link your 1 Pink + 1 Pink + 1 Orange creations to the widget below. To qualify for the pinks n' orange giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.

Ready, Steady, Go!

We'll see you back here next Monday, June 22nd for Week Three's pretty, pretty Palette, Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner. Until then, have fun, good luck and get your arting on!

Monday, June 8, 2015

I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your help and enthusiasm in spreading the word about our colorful community! I can't wait to get playing, can't wait to dive into our first color palette and can't wait to see what you do with this year's anniversary addition! And really, if the opening week is any indication of how much fun we're gonna have this year, then I'd say we're in for a drippy, sparkly, colorful Summer indeed. . . .

Last Week:

During our Introductory Week we discussed all the ways we can participate in The Summer of Color. If you'd like a review of the event, just pop over here and take a gander. I promise, this is one arty party you don't want to miss.

This Week:

The real fun begins! We'll be working with our first - of six - color palettes. For The SOC 5: Color by Number, you'll be prompted to choose a combination of colors that you prefer, based upon a generic color palette that I will provide. Each week the palette will be 2 of one color plus 1 of another. So, we'll all be working within the same general color palette, but our choices within that palette will be as varied as we are. And as always, you can create anything your little heart desires, with color being the only stipulation.

Got It! Now Gimme The Colors!

You bet. Since this year's SOC materials are all pretty in blues n' green, I thought we'd start there. Soooooooo, (drum roll please) our first color palette of the Summer is . . . .

1 Blue + 1 Blue + 1 Green

Again, which particular blues and greens you use is all up to you! Want a little help? You got it! Here's our first anniversary addition: a PDF you can download and use to record your very own version of the palette!

And this year, we're taking the SOC to YouTube! That's right: from this week on, you can see how I approach the challenges by watching them unfold before your eyes (okay, that sounds dramatic, but you know what I mean). Ready for my take on Week One? Yes? Eeeeeeep, here goes. . . .

And What About Our First Colorful Giveaway?

Well now, you know I wouldn't disappoint. Our pretty fabulous giveaway for Week One is:

Let's get arting! You may link your 1 Blue + 1 Blue + 1 Green creations to the widget below. To qualify for the Blues n' Green giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.

And Remember:

You can find us here, on Facebook and on Flickr. For all other social outlets, please use the hashtag #TheSummerofColor5.

I Think That's It!

Have so much fun with this week's challenge and we'll see you back here next Monday for Week Two's colorful Palette, Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner. Okay? Okay!

Monday, June 1, 2015

Eeeeeeeeeeeeep! It's here! It's here! And from all you've been saying, it looks like The SOC 5 is gonna be another exciting Summer of creativity, connection & fun! So whether you're joining us for the first time or you've been here from the beginning, I promise that this - the anniversary of our fifth color-splashed year - is one not to be missed!

But. Wait. You Don't Know About The Summer of Color?

Oh, sorry. (I forget about that). Think of The Summer of Color as a big, international blog party featuring six weeks of color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, fabulous giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazing artistic community. Oh, and it's totally free. And awesome. Just saying.

So You Said It's Been 5 Years?

Um, yeah. Crazy, right? And to celebrate, this year we're taking the best, most popular aspects of the last 5 years and mushing them altogether. In other words, only the very best bits will make this year's cut. That includes the most popular opening-week giveaway, the most popular color palettes (or versions therein) and the most popular way of approaching the challenges by giving you the final say on what hues you'll choose. Oh! And we're adding a couple of new things as well, including a weekly PDF that you can print out and use to organize your weekly palettes.

Nicccceeee! So How Does This Thing Work?

Easy-peasy. From next Monday on, there will be a color palette announced here on this blog. You will then have until Sunday morning of the same week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. You can share your work through your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram or really, anything that can be linked here to this blog (so that we can all see your beautiful work). A linking device will be up as of next week. There will also be a rather fabulous giveaway each week for those who participate. The winner will be selected at random (via a Random Number Generator) from the link list and announced here the following week.

But You Haven't Told Us About The Theme, "Color by Number."

Ohhhhhhh, right! Well now, I bet you want to know about that! Okay, here goes: for The SOC 5: Color by Number, you will be prompted to choose a combination of colors that you prefer, based upon a generic color palette that I will provide. Each week the palette will be 2 of one color + 1 of another. For example, if the color prompt for the week is say, Yellow and Orange, then you will be prompted to choose your favorite 2 Yellows + 1 Orange. So while some may be using butter yellow, goldenrod and neon orange, others may be using mustard, citron and perhaps tangerine. Either way, we will all be working with the same basic palette, but our choices within that palette will be as varied as we are.

And As Always:

You'll work in your preferred mediums - creating anything your little heart desires - with color being the only stipulation.

What Do You Mean By Our "Preferred Mediums?"

There are so many ways to participate in The Summer of Color. You can create anything that you want, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. You may choose to develop a body of work using the same materials each week or mix it up and create something new each time. It's totally up to you.

What Kinds Of Things Will We See?

Oh, there's so much! But if you'd like an idea of what types of projects we've seen in the past, check these links out:

Did I miss anything? Surprise me! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I've Got It! Now, Is There A Time Limit?

Kinda. You're welcome to share your work at any time, however in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your pretty little things to this blog by Sunday morning, 10:00 am (Pacific Daylight Time). Also, this is meant to be fun. If you're away or can't participate every week, please don't worry about it. Each week stands on its own, so like any other party, just come when you can.

Can Anyone Participate?

But of course! Anyone who has a blog, Facebook, Flickr or any other account that can be linked here can play along. You may even want to include the kiddies. Also, this is an international event. Should your name be selected for a drawing, I will happily mail it to you, no matter where you live. Cool? Cool.

And What About Social Media?

Oh yes, that. You may want to follow this blog (so as not to miss a thing), and there is also both a Facebook group and Flickr pool created especially for our event. I've also identified a hashtag that we can use for all other social media outlets. Just tag #TheSummerofColor5 to keep us all on the same page.

So, What Do We Do This Week?

For this, our introductory week, the task is simple. Please just help me spread the word. Since the whole idea of our event is to foster creativity, community and connection, the more of us who come out to play, the better. Anddddddd to thank you for your efforts, I'm offering one lucky person the most popular of our opening giveaways. Are you ready for it?

I know, right? (Makes me all jelly inside). Now, I know some of you have already started to share the news, but I want to thank you formally for doing so. So, please let me know how you've helped spread the word (either by posting the SOC button on your blog, mentioning it in a blog post, by letting your Facebook friends know or discussing it on Instagram, Twitter, You Tube or whatever social media that you love) in the comment section below (only one comment per person, please) and you'll be in the running! The winner will be announced here next Monday, June 8th.

Oh! And Because I Created A Different Video Last Year:

You can use either one of those too. Wanna see that one again? K, here it is:

Speaking of Next Monday, June 8th:

You'll want to come back here for our first week's color prompt, our first colorful giveaway, our first new PDF, the announcement of our Blick gift card winner and, well, something else that's new. Something that I hope you'll agree makes this year the most exciting and interactive ever. Wanna hint? How 'bout two: One, I'm playing along with you this year and two, well, you'll wanna watch this space. . . .